Apparatus for erecting and closing cartons



y 1960 H. J. 6055 2,935,918

APPARATUS FOR ERECTING AND CLOSING CARTONS Filed Sept. 25. 1956 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 I/IIJ INVENTOR. MOLD J; G086 BY Pym/4,014 "W ATTORNEYS May 10, 1960 H. J. GOSS APPARATUS FOR ERECTING AND CLOSING CARTONS Filed Sept. 25. 1956 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR. .EMROLD J. GOSS BY PAM ATTORNEYS May 10, 1960 H. J. 6055' 2,935,918

APPARATUS FOR EREC'I'ING AND CLOSING CARTONS 145 IN VEN TOR.

i HAROLD J: 6085 Fig. 5. BY

722mm r? W i ATTORNEYS May 10, 1960 J 055 2,935,918

APPARATUS FOR ERECTING AND CLOSING CARTONS Filed Sept. 25. 195 a Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. HAROLD J 6086' BY PM *TW ATTORNEYS May 10, 1960 H. J. 6055 2,935,918

APPARATUS FOR ERECTING AND CLOS ING CARTONS Filed Sept. 25. 1956 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

EIROLD J. G055 BY 2 I 4- 7 mm 7 ATTORNEYS May 10, 1960 J, G055 2,935,918

APPARATUS FOR ERECTING AND CLOSING CARTONS Filed Sept. 25. 1956 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 212 225 :hEztEiLEEEji 2'57] gas 6' 51 4 34 INVENTOR. HAROLD J. 6035' A T TOMS May 10,. 1960 5055 2,935,918

APPARATUS FOR ERECTING AND CLOSING CARTONS Filed Sept. 25. 1956 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 I 1122:: I'll INVENTOR. 269 1111120121) J. 6055' :PW l TTORNEYS May 10, 1960 055 2,935,918

APPARATUS FOR ERECTING AND CLOSING CARTONS Filed Sept. 25. 1956 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 INVENTOR. HAROLD J; 6088 BY 4 P.M ATTORNEYS APPARATUS FOR ERECTING AND CLOSING CARTONS Harold J. Goss, Nashua, N.H., assignor to The International Paper Box Machine Company, Nashua, Nil-1., a corporation of New Hampshire Application September 25, 1956, Serial No. 612,009

7 Claims. c1. 93-53 This invention relates to a machine for continuously erecting collapsed folding cartons and then closing the cover and end flaps thereof.

It has heretofore been proposed to provide carton erection apparatus in which a moving magazine and an oscillating suction head cooperate to erect the carton against a fixed, arresting edge as in US. Patent 2,736,998 to Walgrave of March 6, 1956. It has also been proposed to close the cover and end flaps of a filled carton by means of a moving carriage having oscillating folding arms and advancing with the cartons as in U.S. Patent 2,734,324 to Chandler of February 14, 1956. The device of this invention accomplishes both the erection and the closure of the cartons in one machine and with the cartons under continuous control of one timed conveyor means such as a registration chain.

It is one object of the invention to move cartons continuously along a path through a carton closure zone by registration chain means and to use the same registra tion chain means for erecting the cartons, thereby avoiding any transfer of carton control in the machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel carton erection means in which the endmost collapsed cartons in a stationary end feed magazine are slid through a side passage and into engagement with an intermittently oscillating arresting barrier by the spaced lugs of a carton conveyor chain.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel feed means wherein each successive endmost article in a stack is presented to a timed registration chain, the lugs of the chain slideably segregate the same from the stack and the same lugs then advance the carton through various folding zones.

Still another object of the invention is to provide closure means for the end flaps, cover flap and cover tuck flap of folding cartons, the folding apparatus not advancing but operating on fixed pivots as the cartons continuously advance thereby.

A still further object of the invention is to provide closure means for the upstanding cover flap and cover tuck flap of continuously advancing cartons wherein laterally oscillating downfolding members cooperate with a longitudinally moving carton conveyor to enable closure without stoppage of the cartons.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of a carton in the various stages of feeding, erection, filling and closure accomplished by the machine.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the carton feeding mechanism of the invention.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged end view in section on line 55 of Fig. 2 of the carton feeding mechanism.

Figs. 6 and 7 are enlarged plan and side views respectively of the carton erection mechanism-of the invention.

Figs. 8 and 9 are enlarged plan and side views respec- 2,935,918 Patented May 10, 1960 tively of the end flap closure mechanism of the invention.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged plan view of the cover tuck flap folding mechanism of the invention.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged end view in section on line 11 11 of Fig. 2 of the cover tuck flap folding mechanism.

Fig. 12 is a side view of the mechanism shown in Figs. 10 and ll.

Fig. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary end view of the cover tuck flap folding mechanism.

Figs. 14 and 15 are enlarged plan and side views respectively of the cover flap folding mechanism of the invention and Fig. 16 is a further enlarged end view in section on line 16-16 of Fig. 2 of the cover flap folding mechamsm.

Fig. 17 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing one type of tuck flap which may tend to bind without the use of the cover closing mechanism of this invention.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the machine 20 includes side frame pieces 21 and 22 connected by cross frame pieces such as at 23. A platform 24 is provided for a drive motor 25, the motor 25 being movable by handle 26 to adjust tension of a drive belt 27. For convenience and clarity, the machine 20 is divided into a feed zone 30, an erection zone 31, a filling zone 32 and a closure zone 33. The filling zone may be of any desired length depending on the articles to be placed in the cartons and may contain an automatic hopper or the like not shown and forming no part of this invention or filling may be by hand.

First timed conveyor means A first timed conveyor means 34 extends longitudinally the full length of the machine 20, from feed zone 30 through closure zone 33. Conveyor means 34 is preferably in the form of an upper registration chain 35 and an identical lower registration chain 36 trained around sprockets such as 37 and 38 the latter sprockets being keyed on vertical shaft 40. Each chain 35 and 36 is provided with spaced registration lugs such as 42 therearound which travel uni-directionally in the horizontal planes of the chains and project laterally and inwardly on the inside stretches 43 and 44 of the chains.

Lower chain 36 is mounted in a chain support 45 of rigid material fixed to the top portion 46 of machine 20, the support being grooved as at 47 and 48 to accommodate the links of the chain and prevent sagging or Whipping thereof while the projecting lugs 42 advance an article therealong. Upper chain 35 is mounted in a similar chain support 50, having grooves 51 and 52 and end plates such as 53 and 54- for supporting the sprockets 37 and 38. A pair of spaced vertical adjusting screws 55 and 56 connected for joint rotation by sprockets 57 and 58 and chain 59 are arranged to raise and lower support 50 and chain 35 to various desired heights. A rigid member 61 is fixed to chain support 45 to form one side of a bottom support 62 upon which articles may slide as they are advanced by conveyor means 34.

Second timed conveyor means vided with spaced registration lugs such as 72. The lugs.

72 extend laterally inwardly along the inside stretches 73 and 74 of conveyor means 64 and are parallel to, but spaced from the stretches 43 and 44 a distance equal to the width of an article to beconveyed therebctween.

Lower chain 66 is mounted in a rigid support 75 identical with support and upper chain is mounted in a rigid support 76 identical with support 50, the upper support being vertically adjustable by screws 77 and 78, sprockets 79 and 80 and connecting chain 81. -A rigid member 83 is fixed to chain support 75 to form the opposite side of the bottom support 62, there being a horizontal plate 84 thereon at the erection zone which slides in a slot in member 61 to form a continuous, rather than skeletonized, bottom in that zone.

Bevel gears 85 and 86 at the bottom of shafts 40 and '70 are driven by bevel gears 87 and 88 on a transverse shaft 89 journalled in side frame pieces 21 and 22. (See Fig. 16.) Shaft 89carries a sprocket 90 driven by a chain 91 trained around a sprocket 92 on control shaft 94. Control shaft 94 carries a large sprocket 95 connected by chain 96 to a small sprocket 97 on shaft 98. Shaft 98 carries a large pulley 99 driven by the belt 27 from motor 25. Suitable tension sprockets 101 and 102 are provided for chains 91 and 96. A gear 103 on shaft 89 meshes with a gear 104 on the shaft 105 of a discharge apron 106 for removing articles from machine 20.

Feed means The particular flat article selected for illustration of the operation of the machine 28 is a folding carton 110 of the type having an automatic bottom and usually termed a Himes carton. Such cartons may be shipped and stored in collapsed tubular form with the bottom flaps folded upwardly therewithin but ready to snap downwardly automatically to form a carton bottom when the side walls are erected. In Fig. 3 the various stages of erection and closing of such a carton by the machine of this invention are illustrated, each stage being directly under the corresponding zones of Fig. 2. The carton 110 is shown collapsed in the feed zone 30 with the bottom flaps 169 hidden within the carton and the leading end closure flap 111, the trailing end closure flap 112, the cover flap 113 and the cover tuck flap 114 all upstanding, flatwise and unfolded. The side walls of the carton are designated 115, 116, 117 and 118 with wall 116 being the cover carrying wall.

In the feed zone 30 a stationary end feed magazine 120 includes a pair of lateral side supports 121 and 122 movable to desired longitudinal positions on longitudinal rods 123 and 124 supported on lateral frame pieces 125 and 126. As best shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the frame pieces 125 and 126 each include a plurality of holes such as 127, 128, 129 and 130, 131, 132 aligned at three different radial angles around the bottom line of a carton passage 133 to enable the side supports 121 and 122 to be fixed at the preferred one of such angles. Each side support 121 and 122 includes an inclined bottom support 134 or 135 whereby a stack 136 of vertical fiat collapsed folding cartons such as 110 may be supported therein with gravity tending to present the endmost carton, with the cover carrying wall 116 exposed and facing outside, to the first conveyor means 34. The side support 121 with its bottom support 134 may be moved longitudinally relative to support 122 to accommodate cartons of various sizes.

The passage 133 extends vertically along the leading edge of each successive endmost carton in magazine 120 and is formed on one side by a vertical, lateral, gateway member 138, movable in slots 139 and 140 in frame piece 126 by set screws 141 and 142. The opposite side of the passage 133 is formed by an upper movable longitudinal gateway member 144 on chain support 50. and a corresponding lower gateway member 145 on chain support 45. Each member such as 144 and 145, is slotted as at 146 and 147 for set screws such as 148 and 149 and may be moved laterally to expose more or less of the registration lugs such as 42 to control the carton engaging portion thereof while also establishing the width of passage 133 with gateway member 138.

Passage 133 is arranged to pass only one article, such as the endmost carton 110, at a time and the exposed portion of the lugs 42 are arranged to engage only the trailing edge such as 151 of the carton to advance the leading edge such as 152 through the passage without double or triple feeding. It should be noted that the mechanism for feeding articles from the magazine 120 is the first registration conveyor means of the device so that each article separated is immediately registered and carried through all of the operating zones by the same conveyor with no loss or transfer of control.

Erection means An intermittently moving arresting barrier is provided at the end of erection zone 31 preferably in the form of an upper arm 154 and a lower arm 155, both oscillatable on a fixed vertical shaft 156. The arms 15.4 and 155 are located at a distance from the magazine 120 approximately equal to the maximum longitudinal spread of supports 121 and 122. Thus the magazine 120 may be adjusted to hold collapsed cartons of maximum width and such cartons can be erected just as they emerge from passage 133. For cartons of various sizes, elongated holding rods, such as at 157, of appropriate length are provided to lengthen the passage 133 and cause it to terminate just as the carton commences to erect. The rods 157 are L-shaped and held in a suitable clamp 158 which permits lateral adjustment. As best shown in Figs. 6 and 7 each arm such as 154 is straight and includes a split sleeve portion; 159 having a set screw 160 by which it can be adjusted on the shaft 156. The shaft 156 carries a bevel gear 161 at its lower end meshing with a bevel gear 162 mounted on a stub shaft 163 supported in a bearing 164 on frame piece 21. An arm 166 is fixed to gear 162 and pivotally connected at 167 to a rod 168 terminating in a yoke 169 which embraces a collar 170 on control shaft 94. A roller follower 171 on yoke 169 engages a cam 172 fixed to shaft 94 and is spring pressed thereagainst by the action of coil spring 173. With each revolution of shaft 94 the arms 154 and 1.55 are oscillated into the path of a carton beingadvanced by the conveyor means 34 and 64 into the full line position shown in Fig. 6 and then oscillated out of the path.

Yielding deflector means preferably in the form of an upper resilient leaf spring 175 and an identical lower resilient leaf spring 176 are provided in the erection zone 31. Each spring such as 175 is fixed at one end 177 to the adjacent chain support such as 50 and is normally bowed away from the conveyor means 34 at its free terminal end 178 in the direction of the opposite conveyor means 64. A shown in Fig. 6, the leading edge 152 of each carton 110 emerging from passage 133 is thus deflected laterally into the path of the conveyor 64 and into timed engagement with the arresting barrier formed by arms 154 and 155. The arms 154 and 155 remain as a barrier momentarily until the cartons 110 have erected into rectangular cross section and the automatic bottom flaps 109 have folded into place whereupon the barrier moves out of the way of the erected carton in the direction of advance thereof. The cartons 110 thus are advanced through the filling zone 32 in erected condition with the cover flap 113, closure flaps 111 and 112 and tuck flap 114 all upstanding vertically thereabove as shown at 179 in Fig. 3.

Closure means The successive erected and filled cartons 179 are. continuously advanced through closure zone 33by the registration lugs 42 and 72 pushing against the trailing walls 115 thereof and the first mechanism encountered downfolds the end closure, flaps "111 and 11 2. 1

A stationarydownfold bar 180'is supported in the path of the leading flaps 111 by a bracket 181 having a laterally extending slot 182 with a set screw 183 therein and threaded in the chain support 76 as best shown in Figs.

Sand 9. The bar 180 has a longitudinally extending slot 134 for a set screw 185 whereby it may be moved to desired positions. The longitudinal portion 186 of bracket 181 serves as a holddown bar for both the leading flaps 111 and the trailing flap 112 until the cover fiap is downfolded and the terminal section of portion 186 may be a leaf spring 187. Each leading flap 111 is folded downwardly by bar 180 and held in downfolded position by portion 186 and section 187 as it is advanced thereunder.

An oscillating downfold arm 189 is movable in a vertical' longitudinal plane above the main bodies of the cartons 179 on a lateral stub shaft 190. Shaft 190 is carried in a bearing 191 mounted on chain support 76 and carries a bevel gear 192 at its terminal end. Gear 192 meshes with a bevel gear 193 carried by a vertical shaft 194 having a bevel gear 195 at its lower end. The gear 195 is meshed with a bevel gear 196 carried by a stub shaft 197. A lateral element 198, on bearing 191 and a bearing 199 fixed to the lower chain support 75 rotatably support vertical shaft 194.

The drive mechanism for gear 196 is similar to the drive mechanism for the arms 154, 155 described above and is powered by the control shaft 94. It includes an arm 261 fixed to gear 196, pivotally connected at 202 to a rod 203 terminating in a yoke 2114 encircling a collar 205 on shaft 94. Also a roller follower 206 engaging a cam 207 and a coil spring 208. The cam 207 causes the arm 189 to move into the rear of the path of each upstanding trailing end closure flap 112 to downfold the same and then to move the arm 139 up and out of the path. Arm'189 is curved at its terminal end portion 210 in order to engage the middle of the flap and then progressively engage the flap with a rolling engagement down to the fold line thereof. The downfolded flap 112 slides under the folder bar 180 and remains folded throughout the remainder of its path through machine 20.

The second folding mechanism encountered by the cartons 179 in their continuous passagethrough closure zone 33 operates to fold the cover tuck flaps 114 of each upstanding cover 113. As best shown in Figs. ll3 a pair of longitudinally extending folding guides 211 and 212 are supported on a bracket 213 fixed to upper chain support 50, each on an opposite side of the path of the upper portion of the cover flaps 113. The entrance ends 214 and 215 of guides 211 and 212 are bent outwardly away from each other to form a month 216 for receiving the leading edge 152 of the cover flaps, and an inverted U-shaped piece 217 connects the guides near the mouth 216. Guide 211 forms a stationary jaw close to the fold line of the cover tuck flaps, around which the tuck flap is folded by the movable jaw 218. As shown in Fig. 13, guide 211 is tapered at 219 to a sharp edge 220 for securing an accurate fold. Movable jaw 218 is a longitudinally extending plate coextensive with guide or jaw 211 and carried at one end of a lever 222 pivoted at 223 to bracket 213. The other end 224 of lever 222 is pivotally connected at 225 to a vertical rod 226 slideable in holes such as at 227 in the chain supports 45 and 50. As shown in Fig. 12 the rod 226 is pivotally connected at 229-to one arm 230 of a bell crank lever 231 pivoted at 232 to machine 26. The other arm 233 of lever 231 carries a roller follower 234 in engagement with a cam 235 rotated by control shaft 94. A coil spring 236 maintains follower 234 in such engagement. The movable jaw 218 is thus caused to oscillate into the path of each covertuck flap 114, fold the flap downwardly more than 90 and into engagement with guide, or stationary jaw 211 and hold the flap in downfolded position until it reaches the quadrantal plate of the cover folding mechanism. It should he noted that movable jaw 218 engages the entire tuck flap 114 flatwise and simultaneously, causing the flap to fold accurately along its entire fold line without distortion of the tuck flap. a

The final mechanism encountered by the cartons 179 in passing through closure zone 33 is the cover folding mechanism best shown in Figs. 14-16. As shown therein, a stationary elongated quadrantal curved guide 238 is mounted on chain support 76 by bolts 239 and the inside face 240 thereof defines the path of a folded tuck flap 114 advancing longitudinally along zone 33. The face 240 projects inwardly at 241 to overhang the path of the adjacent side wall 118 of a carton 179 to assure the tuck flap entering behind the wall into closed position.

An elongated cover folding, or closing, plate 243 is mounted alongside the path of a cover flap 113 and is bent outwardly at 244 to guide a rearwardly bentcover into position. The operating mechanism for plate 243 includes two actuating links 245 and 246 and two actuated links 247 and 248 of rigid material permanently jointed together in parallogram form at joints 250, 251, 252 and 253. Actuating links 245 and 246 each include identical downward extensions at 254 and 255 pivotally supported at 256 and 257 to a base 256 mounted on chain support 51?. Extension 255 includes an arm 260 pivotally connected at 261 to a vertical rod 262. Rod 262 is pivotally connected at 263 (see Fig. 15) to one arm 264 of a lever 265 pivoted at 266 to side frame piece 22. A roller follower 267 is carried by the other arm 268 of lever 265 and engages a cam 269 mounted on control shaft 94. A coil spring 270 maintains the follower 267 in engagement with cam 269.

The two actuated links 247 and 243 each include identical forward extensions 272 and 273 pivotally connected at 274 and 275 to an element 276 fixed to the rear of plate 243. The links 245, 246, 247 and 248 move in a vertical plane normal to the path of the cover flaps 213,

and the linkage is such that the plate 243 folds downwardly with the covers while continuously flatwise thereagainst and in a path concentric with the cover fold line. Thus the cover flap must fold accurately on its fold line and the end closure flaps or material in the carton cannot cause a rnisfold. The downfolding of the cover flap 213 occurs as the cartons are continuously advancing with the tuck flap being guided into place by the guide 238. The carton is then completely closed and is advanced from closure zone 33 onto apron 106.

It should be noted that certain cartons, such as shown at 300 in Fig. 17, are provided with tuck flaps 301 having parallel base edges at 302 and 303 and tapered terminal edges at 304 anad 305. Such tuck flaps must be inserted into the carton 300 by a force exerted exactly parallel to the edges 302 and 303 or the condition shown in Fig. 17 will result wherein the tuck flap edges bind and the tuck flap is crushed. Both the cover flap 366 and the tuck flap 301 tend to be distorted and crushed if closing pressure is applied on cover flap 306 in rear of the fold line 308 of tuck flap 301. The cover folding mechanism of this invention assures the accurate closing of tuck flaps such as 301 by dividing the closing operation into two distinct steps, a preliminary downfold and a completion downfold. This is illustrated in the final view of Fig. 3 in which the dotted lines show the cover flap 113 and the tuck flap 114 at the end of the preliminary fold and the full lines show the same at the end of the completion fold. The mechanism is used on cartons having all types of tuck flaps, such as the type shown at 114, although it is particularly intended to enable the machine to positively fold flaps such as at 301 without distorting or crushing the same.

The cam 269 is provided with a shaped cam face as at 289 adapted to first close the plate 243 down to a position in which the tuck flap such as 114 or 301 is about to be tucked into the carton. The face 289 includes a dwell to then hold the plate 243 in this position until the tuck flap emerges from under guide 238 and advances to a position directly under the portion 290 of plate 243. Portion 290 extends laterally beyond the guide 238 in order to engage the cover flap such as 114 or 306 directly over the tuck flap fold line 3% rather than in rear thereof. The por tion 2%, in this position is then again moved downwardly by the cam face 289 to perform the completion, or final fold, with substantially vertical pressure applied uniformly along the full length of the fold line 308. The forward edge 291 of the portion 299 is preferably bent upwardly to serve as a guide. In addition pressure is again applied downwardly on the fold line 308 of each successive carton emerging from under portion 290 of plate 243 by a stationary plate 294. (See Fig. 1.) Plate 294 is fixed to the plate 295 which supports sprocket 68 of the upper registration chain 65 and the under face of plate 294 is at the level of a properly closed cover flap 114 or 286. It is provided with an upwardly bent forward edge 2%, similar to edge 291, and thus forces any cover flap not properly closed into completely folded position.

As shown in Fig. 5 a post 280 is mounted on chain support 54 in the feed zone and carries a split cover support 281 which may be moved to desired vertical positions thereon by a set screw 282. The second endless conveyor means 64 including chain supports 75 and 76 and all mechanism mounted thereon may be moved laterally relative to endless conveyor means 34 by thrust screws 233 and 234. The bottom plate 84 moves with the conveyor means 34 to provide a carton support under the erection zone and the other folding mechanism is adjusted as stated above to accommodate cartons of various sizes and shapes.

I claim:

1. A machine for continuously erecting and closing cartons of the type having an automatic bottom, end wall closure flaps, a side wall cover and a cover tuck flap, said machine comprising a first, timed, continuously moving endless conveyor extending longitudinally of said machine and having a plurality of spaced lugs projecting laterally and inwardly therefrom along a stretch defining one longitudinal side of a path through a feed zone, an erection zone, a filling Zone and a closure zone; a second timed, endless conveyor extending longitudinally of said machine and having a plurality of spaced lugs projecting laterally and inwardly therefrom along a stretch parallel to said first named stretch at a distance therefrom equal to the width of an erected carton and defining the opposite longitudinal side of said path through said erection zone, said filling zone and said closure zone; a stationary, end feed, collapsed carton magazine in said feed zone arranged to present each successive endmost carton therein flatwise to a lug of said first conveyor for individual segregation and continuous, upstanding, edgewise advance thereby in parallelism with said first stretch; carton erection means in said erection zone, including resilient, yielding, leaf spring deflector means in the path of the leading edge of the wall portion of each said carton for deflecting said leading edge laterally and then yielding out of the path of said carton; a stationary arresting barrier in the path of said deflected leading edge for intercepting and erecting each said carton in cooperation with said first continuous conveyor and timed means for moving said barrier out of the path of each said carton immediately after erection thereof, and carton closure means in said closure zone, including longitudinally extending stationary folding members and timed folding elements, oscillating on pivots fixed with relation to said path for downfolding the end wall closure flaps, the cover tuck flap and the cover of each successive carton and guiding said tuck fiap into closed position as said cartons are continuously advanced along said path and through said zone.

2. A machine as specified in claim 1 wherein said magazine includes a single, laterally movable, vertical membcr forming one side of a vertical carton passage and said first conveyor includes a pair of laterally movable horizontal members forming the other side of said carton passage, the lateral position of said horizontal members establishing the effective width of the lugs of said first conveyor.

3. A machine as specified in claim 1 wherein said carton closure means includes an elongated stationary jaw alongside the path of the inside upper portion of the covers of said cartons, an elongated oscillating jaw, cooperable therewith, for downfolding each cover tuck flap passing thereby; an elongated quadrantal guide for retaining the fold in each cover tuck flap and directing said tuck flap into tucked position and an elongated, oscillating, downfolding plate cooperable with said quadrantal guide for downfolding the cover of each carton passing thereby into closed position.

4. Carton closing apparatus for continuously closing the upstanding end closure flaps, cover flap and cover tuck flap of filled cartons, said apparatus comprising timed, unidirectional, endless conveyor means continuously advancing, upstanding cartons individually and successively from a filling zone through a closure zone and carton closure means in said closure zone, said closure means including a stationary folder bar in the path of each leading upstanding end closure flap and a timed folding arm with a curved terminal end oscillating longitudinally into and out of the rear of the path of each trailing, upstanding, end closure flap for downfolding said flaps to closed position; an elongated stationary jaw and an elongated stationary cover support, each on an opposite side of the path of the upper portion of each upstanding cover flap for supporting the same and a timed elongated folding jaw oscillating laterally into and out of the path of each cover tuck flap for downfolding said tuck flap, against said stationary jaw without longitudinal flap distortion; a quadrantal, curved guide alongside the arcuate path of each folded tuck flap, said guide retaining said tuck flap in folded position during the downfolding of its cover flap and guiding said tuck flap into preliminary tucked position; a timed, elongated folding plate, oscillating laterally into and out of the path of each upstanding cover flap, and linkage means maintaining said plate in flatwise cover contact and downfolding each cover fiap into initial tucked position while the tuck flap thereof is engaged by said quadrantal curved guide and then completing the closing of said tuck flap beyond said quadrantal curved guide.

5. Apparatus for use in closing the upstanding hinged covers of filled cartons continuously advancing in a direction parallel to said covers on carton conveyor means, said apparatus comprising two actuating links and two actuated links of rigid material permanently jointed together in parallelogram form, the two actuating links each having identical downward extensions mounted alongside said carton conveyor for pivotal movement of said parallelogram in a vertical plane normal to the path of said covers and the two actuated links each having identical forward extensions each pivotally supporting a cover folding plate in vertical position alongside the path of said covers and timed means for pivotally moving said links and cover folding plate to downfold the cover of each carton passing thereby with the centre of pivoting of said cover plate extending along the fold line of said covers.

6. A continuous, timed machine for erecting and closing collapsed cartons of the type having a cover hingedly secured to one side wall thereof, a cover tuck flap, end closure flaps and an automatic bottom, said machine comprising stationary magazine means adapted to present each individual and successive endmost collapsed carton therein in a vertical plane extending longitudinally of said machine and with the cover carrying side wall of each carton on the outside; first timed endless conveyor means, having a stretch continuously advancing longitudinally of said machine and having spaced registration lugs each adapted to engage the rearward edge of an endmost carton in said magazine and slideably advance said carton in parallelism with said stretch, forward edge first, along a longitudinally extending path through said machine; second timed endless conveyor means, having a stretch advancing parallel to, and laterally spaced from said first named stretch and having spaced registration lugs, each adapted to engage the rearward wall of an erected carton advancing with a corresponding lug of said first conveyor means; yieldable, resilient deflector means in the path of a collapsed carton being advanced forward edge first from said magazine means by said first conveyor means and adapted to deflect said forward edge laterally away from said first conveyor means and over toward the path of said second conveyor means; timed, moving, barrier means, synchronized with said conveyor means and adapted to move into the path of said second conveyor means to arrest the forward edge of each individual and successive collapsed carton until said carton has erected and then move out of said path; flap closing means along said path including a stationary downfold member in the path of each leading end flap and a timed, moving, downfolding arm adapted to move in a vertical longitudinal plane into the path of each trailing end flap of each successive erected carton for downfolding said flaps and then to move out of said path; cover tuck flap folding means, along the path of said chain means including a longitudinally extending stationary jaw extending along the path of the inside upper portion of the covers of said cartons and a longitudinally extending oscillating jaw adapted to downfold the entire cover tuck flap of each successive cover simultaneously against said stationary jaw as each successive carton advances thereby; and cover downfolding means, along the path of said chain means, including a stationary curved, longitudinally extending guide for guiding a folded tuck flap into preliminary tucked position and a longitudinally extending oscillating downfolding plate adapted to downfold the cover of each successive carton into tucked position as each successive carton advances thereby and then to further downfold said tuck flap into closed position beyond said guide.

7. Carton erection apparatus for continuously erecting flat, collapsed cartons of the automatic bottom type, said apparatus comprising a stationary, end feed magazine for supporting a stack of vertical collapsed cartons; carton separator means including a vertical carton passage along the leading edge of the endmost carton in said magazine for passing only one collapsed carton at a time; an endless conveyor having a stretch continuously advancing horizontally across the exposed face of each successive endmost carton in said magazine, said conveyor having a plurality of spaced, horizontally extending lugs therearound, each engaging the trailing edge of an endmost carton and moving the carton flatwise against and in parallelism with said stretch through and beyond said passage; a resilient, flexible deflector having one end fixed on said apparatus proximate said stretch beyond said passage and then extending across the path of the main body of each said carton to a free terminal end, proximate an intermittently rotating arresting barrier spaced from said stretch, said deflector guiding the leading edge of each said carton into engagement With said barrier and then flexing out of the way of said carton, and said intermittently rotating arresting barrier mounted at a spaced distance from said conveyor stretch and synchronized therewith, said barrier halting in position to arrest the leading edge of each deflected carton, until said carton has erected, and then rotating out of the path of said erected carton.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,009,828 Wild July 30, 1935 2,441,372 Quigley et al May 11, 1948 2,570,144 Mettler Oct. 2, 1951 2,598,071 Rose et al May 27, 1952 2,737,388 Gottscho Mar. 6, 1956 2,769,376 Chidsey et a1 Nov. 6, 1956 

